One of my cats has just brought in a mouse - and it's still alive. She's playing with it in the living room... it's so small and cute and furry; I want to save it, but my husband keeps telling me it's vermin and Rabbit is only doing what she should be doing - catching mice and killing them - and that I should leave her alone to do her job.

I just wish she wouldn't *play* with it - she kept letting it go and pouncing on it...

I feel like a murderer! Poor little mousey... :(

BlackGrey

07-05-06, 12:48

Aww, if it gets in its mouth just take it out and let it play a little longer :)

Kamrusepas

07-05-06, 12:49

Our dogs does the same thing with small animals, chases them and plays with them but won't kill them...

Elysia

07-05-06, 12:51

She's brought them in before, but she's always killed them before I saw her. As much as I love cats (and dogs), they are a bit, well, bloodthirsty...

I know mice are vermin and we don't want them in the house, but why do they have to be so cute?!? It's not fair!

jarhead

07-05-06, 12:57

if i were you i would get the mouse and put it somewhere where the cat cant get it. i hope its not too late- i would hate to be in your situation but luckily or dogs arnt very bloodfirsty

Greenkey2

07-05-06, 12:58

The tried and tested method for when our cats brings something in (still alive) is to try and catch it and put it back outside - preferably somewhere the cat won't immediately find it and bring it in again. Grab beastie in one hand, fend off cat with the other and run like crazy.

Shrews are to be treated with caution as their tiny size only seems to make them fiercer. Mice are harmless. Rats....don't usually show up. Hedgehogs bring the cat in. Lizards fall apart. Cabbage leaves show up only in composting season. Rubber bands are for when the postman is around. Frogs are the cat equivalent of pizza leftovers. Worms are a sign that the cat is bored and wants a vacation.

Fortunately our cats are too lazy to bother catching anything very often, but we've had all sorts of beasties over the years. I even had a live bat that we managed to rescue; god only knows how the cat caught it :eek:

Jebus

07-05-06, 13:04

well i remember when my cat Frank, he is pure white and so amazingly cool, brought a live bird in the house, he just brought it in with it flapping in his mouth!!! Luckily the bird got out of Franks gob and flew around, before we had to direct the panicked bird out of the house by shooing it and swiping it away with papers!!!

Paul H

07-05-06, 13:09

One of my cats has just brought in a mouse - and it's still alive. She's playing with it in the living room... it's so small and cute and furry; I want to save it, but my husband keeps telling me it's vermin and Rabbit is only doing what she should be doing - catching mice and killing them - and that I should leave her alone to do her job.

I just wish she wouldn't *play* with it - she kept letting it go and pouncing on it...

I feel like a murderer! Poor little mousey... :(

You should ignore your husband and take the mouse away from the cat, then take it to somewhere the cat won't find it, such as a nearby field if there is one.

The cat is not doing "what she should be doing" if you have it as a pet rather than primarily to catch mice. It's not the cat's fault, but as when a child misbehaves it is necessary to intervene sometimes. The poor mouse isn't harming anyone and won't do in spite of silly and emotive words like "vermin".

Gabi

07-05-06, 13:23

I have had cats (and still do) for many years and it seems that I am constantly trying to save the lives of frogs, birds and mice; sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I do get upset about it, but after all it is how nature intended it.

Elysia

07-05-06, 13:32

Well, she ran off under the sofa and killed it when I tried to approach her. Poor mouse... :(

(btw - hubby lived on a smallholding as a kid, and there mice were most definitely vermin... they were vermin to me as well when they used to get in the feed bins when I had my horse. But close up - they're just so cute!)

I have had cats (and still do) for many years and it seems that I am constantly trying to save the lives of frogs, birds and mice; sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I do get upset about it, but after all it is how nature intended it.
Yes... I suppose after all this time I should be used to it. We've had frogs, fish, birds, moths, spiders, slugs and all manner of small rodents brought in (plus cigarette ends, bits of polystyrene, leaves, bits of twig, children's toys... anything they can chase and catch, really!) - I don't think it would bother me so much if they didn't take such obvious relish in *torturing* everything!!